Dust cap for lubricating apparatus



- 1,626,268 April M. R. CHIPMAN v DUST CAP FOR LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 12, 1925 INYENTOR 1 f oz fon R. 6 12 i oman BY gm Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

MORTON R. GHIPIVIAN, OF WATER/BURY, CONNECTICUT.

DUST CAP FOR LUBRICATING APPARATUS.

Application filed November This invention relates to lubricating ap upon the lubricating nipple without the use of springs in the cap itself.

, A further object is to provide a clustexcluding 'cap'of the above nature which is adapted to be attached to and detached from the lubricating nipple by the operation of forcing the cap downwardly against the interior valve closure, and then twisting said cap to respectively engage or disengage it from suitable locking pins on the exterior of said nipple.

A still further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate, ornamental in appearance, and very eflicientand durable in use.

lVith these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

, Fig. 1 represents a side view in elevat on of the lubricating nipple and dust-excluding cap.

Fig; 2 is a side sectional view of the same, the section being taken on a plane at right angles to the views shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the same.

In the lubrication of inaccessible machine bearings, such as the brake bolts, steering mechanism, and springs, etc, of an automobile, it was formerly customary to equip said bearings with grease cups from which the grease was delivered to the bearings by screwing down suitable caps threaded thereon. J

This former system has given way in late years to the use of the automatic compression type of inlet nipples adapted to receive lubricant, such as grease, under pressure froma supply nozzle or grease gun at intervals, a suficient' amount of lubricant being forced into the nipple at each filling to 12, 1925. Serial No. cases properly lubricate the bearings .until the next filling. p

a In order to exclude dust, grit, dirt, and moisture from the interior of the nipple and to protect the spring-pressed closure thereof, a detachable cap was sometimes'employed, said cap. having suit-able bayonet slots. adapted to engage locking pins'located on the exterior-of said nipple. The closed end' of the cap contained an interior spring which pressed down-"upon the top edge'of the nipple and thus looked thepins in the bayonet slots and prevented the cap from falling off.

One disadvantage of the former type of dust-excluding cap was its high cost of manufacture. V

The above andother disadvantages have been overcome by the present invention,; in

which a dust cap'has been provided having no spring of any sort and soconstructed that it will be detachably locked on the lubricator nipple by means of the springpressed closure of the nipple itself.

Referring now to the. drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the'several views, the. numeral 10 indicates a lubricating nipple, saidnipple being substantially cylindrical in shape and having a threaded bottom portion 11, by means of which the nipple may. be.

attached to the bearing tobe lubricated.

Immediately above the threaded portion 11 the nipple is provided with a hexagonalflange 12 adapted to be manipulated by a suitable wrench, when it is desired to screw the nipple into or {out of the bearing.

The upper portion of the nipple 10 is smooth and has a shaft 13 extending transversely theret-hrough. The ends 1 1 and 15 of the shaft 13 are adapted to form locking pins for a dust-excluding cap 16, to be here inafter more fully described. The top of the nipple 10 is provided with an inwardly extending beveledflange 17 adapted to form a seat for an internal valve closure member 18, herein shown in the shape of a section i of a hollow sphere. The closure member 18 ispressed against the beveled seat by a ta pered spiral spring 19, as clearly shown in Y Fig. 2. The spring 19 is thusconfined be- I: tween the shaft 13 and the nlpple valve closure member 18 and willfpress'the latter resiliently against itsseat at all times, there- 'by preventingoutward leakage of the lubri v cant from the nipple 10.

The dust-excluding cap 16 is formed in the shape of a cup and has an enlarged head portion 20 at the centre of which isa con cave spherical depression 21 for engagement with the nipple valve closure member 18.

.Depending from the enlarged head portion 20 of the cap is a cylindrical skirt portion 22 provided with a pair of oppositely disposed bayonetslots 2 30f special form. Each of th'e bayonet slots 23 comprises a lower vertical entrance; section 24, a semi-circular top recess25, anda smaller semi-circular recess 26 communicating with the upper recess 25 and forming a seat for the'end of the pin engaged therein.

,Aswillbefseenupon reference to Fig. 1,

a n upwardly extending lug 27 is left be-r tweenthe e ntrance section'24c and the seat 2 "te rrsv tins P 14 anal-5 fl'om accidentallycoming out of'the bayonet slots.

The shape of the seats 26 is such that when the cap is in position upon the nipple, the pins 14: and 15 will not touch the bottom of -the seats but will be slightly spaced therefrom. This loose fit of the'cap upon the nipple eliminates all pressure upon the closure 18 which would tend to open it and 7 cause leakage of the lubricant.

In operation, when it is desired to protect the end of the nipple valve, the dustexcluding cap will be placed over the up-v per end ofthe nipple with the entrance sections2 l-of the bayonet slots 23 in alinement with thepins 1% and 15. The eap will then be; fgrced downwardly against the upward pressure ofthe 1 spring pressed closure 18 until the endsla and 15 of the pin are at the top of the recess 25. The cap will then be twisted ina clockwise direction and then. permitted to move upwardly under the upward' pressure of the springpressed closure 18 until the cap has assumed the position scribed; 1f

'shown'in Figs. land 2. It will be understoodthat thisoperation will be performed so quicklylthat no appreciable amount of lubricantwilljbe permitted to escape from thei nipple P limited'to such a, system, and may be employed on various other machine bearings within the-spirit and scope of the invention,

"One. advantage of the present invention is that the dust-excluding caps may be made .onan automatic machine at anextremely low. cost.

While there has been disclosed in this embodiments comin when the cap is 1 specificationone form in which the inven tion may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of ilhistrationonly, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but maybe modified and embodied in various other forms without departing fro-mitsspirit. In short, the invention includes all the modificationsancl. g within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for; which I it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a lubricating apparatus, 'anfinlet" nipple having aspring-pressed valve. clo;

sure, and-a detachable cup-shaped dust-ex eluding cap slidably fitted over the end of said nipple, sa id cap-havinga depression'in its head to engage said valve clo'sure and saidgcap being removable only by moving it dow-nward'ly to force said closure in- Wardly.

2. In a lubricating app'aratus, an" inlet ni le havin an interior 5 rin ressed valve closure, a tubular dust-excluding cap slidably fittedover the end of said nipple, means on said nipple for retaining said cap, said cap havingmeans for depressing said valve closure when pushed downwardly to release said cap from said retaining means, 7 7

said cap while in dust-excluding position enertingno pressure against said, closure,

except that :du to its own negligible weight.

In 'a lubricat ng.apparatus,- an inlet nipple for attachment to. a bearing having a spring-pressed valve closure,- a locking pin projecting from the side ofsaid nipple,

a dust-excluding cap, for covering said nippl'e,'said cap having a portion adapted to engage with and depress said closure, and 7 also ,having a depending tubular section provided with a bayonet slot'to receive said 7 A pin,jsaid cap being removable, from said nipple by first forcing it downwardly into engagement with said closure and then from said bayonet slot.

nipple connected with a machine bearing, said nipple having an outwardly-pressed valve'closure, and a dust-excluding cap fitted'over the end of said nipple, said'cap having a depressed top 'portion'for engagement with and depressing said closure, said cap being removable only by moving it downwardly to force said closure inwardly,

said depressed portion exerting no pressure except its own weight upon said closure position.

V 51111.21 lubricating apparatus, an inlet nipple connected witha machine bearing, said. nipple having an outwardly pressed valve closure, and a dust-excluding cap fit-j in normal dust-excluding twisting said cap to disengage said pin" 4. In. a lubricating apparatus, an inlet ted over the end of said nipple, said cap having a depressed top portion for engagement with and depressing said closure, said cap being removable only by moving it downwardly to force said closure inwardly, said depressed portion exerting no pressure except its own Weight upon said closure when the cap is in normaldust-excluding position, said cap having a depending'skirt with a bayonet slot, said nipple having a pin to engage in said bayonet slot to prevent said cap from moving out of dust-excluding position.

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my this specification.

signature to MORTON R. CHIPMAN. 

